Red Wings legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Delvecchio dies at 93

DETROIT (AP) — Alex Delvecchio, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame who helped the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup three times in the 1950s, has died. He was 93.

Delvecchio died at his home in Rochester, Michigan, according to a Red Wings spokesperson. A cause of death was not immediately available, though his family said in a statement released by the team that Delvecchio died peacefully Tuesday surrounded by loved ones.

“Alex was more than a hockey icon. He was a devoted husband, loving father, great grandfather, cherished friend and respected teammate to so many,” the family said. “While the world knew him as an incredible hockey player with numerous accomplishments on the ice, we knew him as someone whose humility, strength, competitiveness, kindness and heart were even greater than his knew achievements.”

Delvecchio spent his entire NHL career with the Red Wings from 1951-73, recording 1,325 points in 1,671 regular-season and playoff games. Playing alongside “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe, he was part of championship teams in 1952, ‘54 and ’55, won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct three times and was a two-time All-Star.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977, Delvecchio decades later was named one of the 100 greatest players in league history. During the ‘70s he had multiple stints as Detroit’s general manager, head coach or both.

Delvecchio remains third in franchise history in games played behind Howe and Nicklas Lidstrom. His No. 10 hangs from the rafters as one of the storied organization's retired numbers.

“Few athletes in any sport ever have been as synonymous with one franchise as Alex Delvecchio was with the Detroit Red Wings," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Delvecchio’s work as the center on the famed ‘Production Line’ with wingers Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay was pivotal to the Wings’ title runs in 1952, 1954 and 1955, and he served as team captain for 12 years. The National Hockey League mourns the passing of this true legend of the game.”

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